Downtown Spartanburg 10-30 years

[Sparkledude85]

In the years to come, I can see downtown Spartanburg's streets lined up with great restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. I also could possibly see a movie theater and a grocery store (Bi-Lo possibly) move in. I see Morgan Square's growth extending to East Main Street, down Church Street (thus making East Main and Church Street 2-lane roads again). Magnolia and other streets will also come back to life. I also see more corporate headquarters moving in and more skyscrapers being built. I would love to hear your opinions on this topic.

[GSP Tiger]

Is Spartanburg ready for an IMAX theater?

An urban style supermarket would be neat. I could imagine something like Publix with an in-store pharmacy.

[Sparkledude85]

Hey! That's a great idea. I was thinking a more traditional movie theater, actually...but an IMAX could work too. Also an Indy theater would be great. Spartanburg should get an aquarium, more parks, and more music and sports complexes (do I smell Bi-Lo center?) Please feel free to dream big.

[GSP Tiger]

I doubt Spartanburg needs or will have something like a Bi-Lo Center.

An independent film theater would be excellent. Likewise, a performing arts theater or two would be excellent.

An aquarium anywhere in the upstate would be awesome. Chattanooga's freshwater aquarium would be a great start to gain ideas.

[krazeeboi]

I, too, think the idea of an Upstate aquarium would be cool.

How do you guys see the downtown residential scene in the near future?

[roads-scholar]

How about this for thinking big: downtown Spartanburg, or at least a part of it, becoming the place for bright young entrepreneurs to set up shop. An incubator, so to speak, for new ideas and 21st century business ventures. The current model for most downtowns is to be a trendy and hip destination. Instead of trying to compete with the Ashevilles and Greenvilles of the world, Spartanburg can have a unique "working" downtown that is less of an entertainment and dining destination and more of a business center.

The College Town marketing by the City of Spartanburg and the Hub Bub movement might be the nascent efforts that will Spartanburg in this direction.

[GSP Tiger]

Would a few mid- to high-rise residential towers be awesome?

[goodbye]

How about this for thinking big: downtown Spartanburg, or at least a part of it, becoming the place for bright young entrepreneurs to set up shop. An incubator, so to speak, for new ideas and 21st century business ventures. The current model for most downtowns is to be a trendy and hip destination. Instead of trying to compete with the Ashevilles and Greenvilles of the world, Spartanburg can have a unique "working" downtown that is less of an entertainment and dining destination and more of a business center.

The College Town marketing by the City of Spartanburg and the Hub Bub movement might be the nascent efforts that will Spartanburg in this direction.

I see your point about a "business centered" downtown, but don't think Spartanburg is headed in that direction right now. With the large number of colleges and univertisities located within or very close to the downtown area, I see it continuing to attract more artistic and entertaining businesses along with the corporations. Every city needs to set unique goals for itself, but following the guidelines of success in other cities is sometimes irresistable.

[Spartan]

I hope to see Morgan Square's succes spread to other parts of downtown.

I think in ten years we might finally see something substantial in the Renaissance Park.

I don't forsee a great deal of highrises. Maybe a few. I se mostly midrises and other similar scale projects that make sense for Spartanburg. I want to see more residential, which i think can happen once the area becomes more established, and more businesses spread around. The trick will be making the parts outside of the core area (around Main St and Morgan Square) something worth investing in. There are alot of parking lots and 4 lane roads than need to be removed and narrowed.

I truely believe that if they would bulid for the middle class person, and not the obscenely rich, that Spartanburg's downtown residenital comeback would take off.

I really want to see things along the scale of RiverPlace in Greenville. This is increased density, but not unnecessary skyscrapers.

I would like to see skyscrapers downtown, but I woudl rather see the area as a whole be sucessful than to see a couple of landmarks that sit empty.

I will probably have more to say later

[Sparkledude85]

I believe we will see a vast array of clubs/bookstores/restaurants, etc. spread throughout Spartanburg's downtown very soon. My suggestion for making Church Street and E. Main (past 1st Baptist/1st Presbyterian churches) 2 lanes would be to build some store-fronts. I could see it expanding to St. John, Daniel Morgan, Dunbar, Broad, Henry, and Kennedy...plus parts of Pine and even Union streets. Venus Pie Pizza should live on forever!! The Hangar is also a really neat place, and I think it would be to their advantage to open it to the public more often. They could charge people to play volleyball or to hang out there, and that would be a great profit. I love the new Krispy Kreme, and I would love to see someone fill up the old one...possibly a bookstore, coffeehouse, deli, or even another 24-hour diner.

[Spartan]

I disagree with some of that. We can't eliminate all 4 lane roadsm just the ones that are not used to their capacity like E Main to Pine and W Main to Reidville/St John.

St. John street is a thoroughfare which should continue to be a 4 lane road.

I have heard several people say that Church should be narrowed, but I ahve yet to hear a good explanation as to how that coudl be done while still maintaining the flow of traffic. Church gets ALOT of traffic, and if the road is narrowed another route will have to be established. Perhaps a series of one way streets like how Broad and Dunbar used to funtion together around the Main St Mall.

I would be more in favor of setting up Church with a median and a well defined crosswalk that would make it feel safer to pedestrians crossing the road there.

[Sparkledude85]

Come to think of it, you're right. Some roads need to stay the same. I know I am really going overboard with this but another thing I think Spartanburg anywhere (if NOT downtown) could use is an Ice Rink ala the Pavilion in Taylors/Greenville. Also, we need a zoo around the city (not just Hollywild), some bigger museums (history, science, media, etc.). I think a small video arcade could do well downtown, and although we are getting more coffeehouses, I would like to also see Java Jive come back.

[willum]

How about this for thinking big: downtown Spartanburg, or at least a part of it, becoming the place for bright young entrepreneurs to set up shop. An incubator, so to speak, for new ideas and 21st century business ventures. The current model for most downtowns is to be a trendy and hip destination. Instead of trying to compete with the Ashevilles and Greenvilles of the world, Spartanburg can have a unique "working" downtown that is less of an entertainment and dining destination and more of a business center.

The College Town marketing by the City of Spartanburg and the Hub Bub movement might be the nascent efforts that will Spartanburg in this direction.

This will never work as long as spartanburg is a walmart-burg. it is an awesome idea, and spartanburg would be a great place for it. but as long as we continue to support walmart and other big chains, we'll never see it...

[goodbye]

It will happen in time. Obviously Spartanburg has made tremendous strides to transorm its downtown, and that will only continue to fuel the interest by small businesses, residents, and pedestrians wishing to become more a part of the change. It won't happen overnight, but as the City grows and landscaping/sculpture is expanded throughout downtown, people will be willing to pay a little more to live/work there. Trust me.

[Sparkledude85]

I think we could use a good pool hall downtown as well, and what better place to locate (or relocate) than Rascals Clubhouse (for those of you who don't know, Rascals is a pool hall/eatery/bar located on Asheville Highway near Heron Circle).

[krazeeboi]

How about a children's museum downtown, something similar to EdVenture in Columbia or Imaginon in Charlotte (on a smaller scale, of course)?

[goodbye]

What happened to Discovery Place in Charlotte? That was one of the most incredible experiences a few decades ago.

Edit: Found the official web site> www.discoveryplace.org

[krazeeboi]

Discovery Place is still there.

[Spartan]

Yeah. Its pretty cool too. They've fixed it up in the past few years.

I could see that.

I'm not sure what Spartanburg could do. There has to be something along those lines that we could pick up and use. I like the idea of an aquarium, but Charleston has that. Columbia has a zoo. I'm stuck on this one.

[waccamatt]

A fast food museum?

[Spartan]

lol

Maybe something with a little more dignitude.

[krazeeboi]

Yeah. Its pretty cool too. They've fixed it up in the past few years.

I could see that.

I'm not sure what Spartanburg could do. There has to be something along those lines that we could pick up and use. I like the idea of an aquarium, but Charleston has that. Columbia has a zoo. I'm stuck on this one.

Perhaps the city could find a way to capitalize on its identity as a college town and bring something downtown to reflect that. Perhaps a small-scale museum of natural history? A terrarium? Is there something unique about the city's history that could be turned into an attraction?

[Spartan]

The College Town thing is being pushed now.

We have 6 institutions of higher learning is Spartanburg:

Spartanburg Techchinical College

University of South Carolina Upstate

Spartanburg Methodist College

Wofford

Converse

Sherman Chiropractic College

They put up banners for them around town on the light poles etc, all year.

For these institutions we have this website: http://www.collegetownsc.org/

The city's history is as as a textile center and a railroad hub. Both of these are fading fast. The only mill located close to downtown is not that close. Beaumont Mill is supposed to have a auto racing museum in it at some point.

Mill villages are by far the greatest asset in the county.

I'm thinking of something that could be located in or near downtown. I have never heard of a terrarium as an attraction. That could be interesting.

There are lots of interesting tidbits of info, but none that I can think of that would be an attraction.

[krazeeboi]

Well then, I guess this serves as a basis for the city of Spartanburg to possibly do something outside of the box that will give the city some shine. Let those creative juices flow!

And that College Town website is pretty cool.

[Sparkledude85]

A bowling alley downtown would be neat!